In this follow-up, to Wigginton’s (Angelina’s Secret),
the focus is on Isabella Deveraux, the daughter

of Lady Angelina Marguerite
Amelia Deveraux, the heroine of the first book.

As the story begins, Isabella experiences a
disturbing dream about her twin brother, Charlie, on the eve of her 19th
birthday. We quickly learn that Isabella has a sixth sense, just like her
mother’s, and when she dreams about Charlie’s abduction in London, it’s more
than a simple nightmare. She sets off immediately to London, setting into
motion events that require her to reunite with her grandparents and eventually
her parents, from whom she has been estranged from for years. Complicating
matters further, Isabella’s grandfather hires an Irish mercenary to help her
locate and rescue her brother and his two school mates. Forced to prove her
worth to the mercenary Captain, she is placed in a compromising position and in
doing so must open herself up to other emotions that she is not be yet ready
for. The Captain is a handsome but brooding man, with a brutish disposition,
who is willing to save the lives of three privileged young men, for the right
price. Aiden Townsend decides that the best way to avoid suspicion as they
travel the Irish country side in search of the abducted men is to pretend to be
lovers. Despite Isabella’s grave concern for her reputation, she grudgingly
gives her consent to the arrangement and romantic chaos ensues. The romantic
tension between Isabella and Aiden intensifies as the search for Charlie also
ramps up. During this fast-paced, action-packed tale, readers are treated to
many rich historical details about political unrest in Ireland, lending
credence to the story’s setting. It is a fun, action packed read with just the
right amount of sexual tension to keep even the most seasoned romance reader
engaged.

“I brought the doctor, how is she?” Caleb
blurted out as he came through the doorway with the doctor close behind.

“Still unconscious,” Townsend answered.

“Hey, what are you doing? Get your hands
off me you, you big ah… ah, espe’ce de con!” I whispered, slowly regaining my
bearings. But still feeling groggy and slightly violated, I grabbed at my
shirt, that laid torn open.

The captain had exposed more bear skin than
I was comfortable with. I attempted to cover myself. “Ahh…” I gasped, making a
guttural sound deep in my throat. “What have you done to me? There’s so much
blood,” I yelled in surprise.

“What did she just call me?” Aiden asked,
confused by me suddenly switching to French.

“Sorry, my head was a bit fuzzy and I
couldn’t remember the English words for, “you big, stupid idiot,” I said with
indignation dripping from every word. I found myself suddenly fending off hands
that dared to reach for my shredded, blood soaked shirt. “Stop it. Leave me alone,”
I demanded while shoving and slapping at their hands. “Take your hands off of
me. Have you gentlemen never been taught decorum?”

“You keep that fire burning inside of you.
You’re going to need it, judging by the look of that wound,” Doc said as he peered
at my arm and adjusted his glasses. “We are going to need plenty of boiling
water, Caleb. Hand me my bag, if you wouldn’t mind, Captain?”

I looked between the three men with ever
growing doubt that any of them knew what they were doing. Searching about the
room for Maria’s friendly face, I pushed past the captain with my good hand,
trying to move him out of my way.

“Maria, oh where did she toddle off to?” I
called out. I spotted Maria, standing in the far corner quietly crying. Once
again I tried to get off the bed and past the two men who were prodding at my
arm.

“Maria, stop that caterwauling this instant
and do something,” I scolded with an air of authority, as Captain Townsend
shoved me back against the pillow.

“And just where do you think you are
going?” he asked, with a tone that was beginning to grate on my nerves. “The
Doc here needs a look at that arm,” he stated flatly, while grasping my sore
appendage tightly, holding it steady for the doctor to examine.

“Ouch!” I screamed louder than before.
“Merde!” I cursed in French and punched Townsend in the arm with my good hand.
“I don’t bloody think so,” I boldly proclaimed.

Without another word, he took hold of my
wounded arm and ripped the sleeve completely off, then pinned me against the
bed with a large hand against my good shoulder. I was so shocked by his sudden
and decisive action that words escaped me and I laid there with my mouth agape.

He was a middle aged gentleman with shabby
features. Not dirty, but just not crisp. His shirt and trousers looked as if he
had been sleeping in them for a week, while his hair was disheveled and
uncombed. That confused me, because when I sniffed him, he smelled sterile.

“Ouch! Bloody hell! Get your filthy hands
off me,” I yelled, pulling my arm from the Doc’s vice like grasp, as I fixed him
with a dirty stare.

“Hand me a clean towel from the cabinet
above your head, Maria,” the captain ordered; “You need to lay still, Lady
Deveraux. I will not have any more of your nonsense.”

“Like hell you say,” I bristled and
narrowed my eyes at the captain. I fixed him with a nasty glare that would have
withered most men in an instant, turning them to nothing but a pile of ash
where they stood.

“Don’t think you scare me, young lady. I
have just battled one of hell’s own minions up on my deck and I have to be
honest with you, that was truly frightening,” Aiden teased, trying to lighten
the mood, as he took the towel from Maria.

“That minion you speak of will be the least
of your troubles if you don’t get your bloody hands off me this instant! That I
can promise you!” I said tersely, giving him a wicked glare again as he tightly
wrapped the towel around my arm and squeezed.

Unfazed by my angry outburst, Aiden ignored
me and continued to call out orders. “Caleb, get the Lady a glass of our best
whisky,” he said, pointing at a carafe sitting on the counter.

“I don’t drink, sir,” I stated
emphatically.

“Well, you do today,” Townsend said,
motioning for Caleb to hurry with a silent gesture he sent over my head.

“That wound needs to be closed soon before we
have some real problems,” Doc said, continuing to speak with Aiden as if I
wasn’t there. “

Define problem,” I questioned, trying to
get the doctor’s attention. But he was too busy having an entire conversation
with the captain without using any words.

“Hey Doctor, I’m right here, talk to
me. What do you mean by a real problem?” I asked, starting to feel panic rise
up in my chest.

“The shirt has to go, it’s covered in blood
and will contaminate the area,” the doctor informed Aiden. “Caleb, run down to the
galley and tell Cook I need him to boil me up two pots of water. Then stick
these instruments in one pot and continue to boil them for ten minutes, but
don’t take them out,” Doc instructed, handing Caleb some surgical instruments,
wrapped in a towel. “Instead, I want you to bring the entire pot back here to
me, and have someone bring me the other pot of boiled water, plus some fresh
water when it is ready,” he instructed, continuing to bark out orders to Caleb
as he ran out the door.

“Got it Doc,” Caleb called over his
shoulder from half way down the hall.

Maria handed Aiden the glass of whisky
Caleb had given her just before he left the room.

“I need a fire going in that stove over
there to heat the tool,” Doc said, looking at Aiden who nodded his head.

“What tool?” I asked, anxiously.

“Maria, make sure she drinks this,” Aiden
instructed as he handed the glass back to her, “And make sure you keep pressure
on that wound.”

“Wait! What tool are you intending to place
in the fire? More importantly what are you intending to do with it after you
have placed it in the fire?” I called out, trying to make eye contact with
anyone who would answer my question.

Instead, everyone continued to move about
the room, avoiding direct eye contact with me, as if I were invisible.

“You know what? I think we can just wrap my
arm up. It’s truly nothing more than a scratch after all. I will be good as new
in a couple of days,” I reasoned out loud, while scooting to the edge of the
bed.

“Oh, no you don’t, missy, you will stay
put,” Doc insisted, forcing me back on the bed with a wave of his hand. Picking
up my wrist in one hand, while glancing at his pocket watch, he checked my
pulse again. “You better drink up now. We don’t have much time,” Doc said,
taking the glass from Maria and pressing it into my hand.

“I told you, I don’t drink,” I replied,
with less veracity in my tone this time.

“Drink!” Doc said sternly, pushing the cup
up to my lips and tipping it so the amber liquid spilled into my mouth.

Taking a sip, I began to cough and sputter
as the liquid burned my throat.

“Keep going, I assure you, it gets smoother
with every sip,” the captain said reassuringly as he strolled back into the
room.

The cabin boy followed close behind, his
arms loaded down with firewood. Coming up behind Maria, Townsend tapped her on
the shoulder and took her place when she stood up. Taking hold of the towel, he
continued to squeeze tightly, despite my protests.

“We will know you have drunk enough whisky
when you stop complaining,” he said flatly, raising an eyebrow and inclining
his head toward my glass of liquor.

After fifteen minutes, I managed to get two
thirds of the glass down and was feeling no pain at all. I began to laugh
uncontrollably every time I hiccupped.

“She’s ready,” Aiden proclaimed, taking the
glass from my hand. “It would be such a shame to waste a perfectly good glass
of whisky,” he reasoned and then downed the remaining contents of the glass to
steady his own nerves. He set the empty glass down on the table with a
satisfied sigh. “I also think we are ready to lose the shirt.” Taking hold of
the blood stained shirt by the tails, Aiden pulled it over my head and off in
one fluid motion. The only thing protecting my modesty now was the bandaging I
used to bind my chest that morning.

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph!” Maria exclaimed
out loud.

“It’s alright, Maria,” I slurred, “The shirt
was old anyway.” I suddenly looked about as if I had just discovered something
odd. “Did it suddenly get cold in here?” I asked, as a shiver shook my entire
body.

Caleb returned from the galley with the pot
of boiled water that contained the Doc’s tools. “Wow,” the first mate
exclaimed, as he walked through the doorway and saw me scantily clad.

“Put your eyes back in your head,
Daughtery,” Aiden said drolly, placing a blanket over me. “You act as if you
have never seen a half naked woman before.”

“Who says I have?” Caleb quipped.

Author Information

Born in Riverside, California in 1963, my
family and I moved to San Diego when I was nearly 8. I had a very rich life
growing up, with my brother, David and best friend Gigi, for company. I was
married to my current husband, David in 1998 and we moved to Herald, California
in 2001. We have a blended family of 6 kids and enjoy the rural life on our 5
1/2 acre ranch, 45 minutes south of Sacramento. I love writing and creating
stories that are different and intriguing. I like to give my readers a little
something unexpected. I have always wanted to be a published author, but the
timing never seemed right. Raising a family and working full time always took
precedence. Shortly after I turned 50 I decided that it would never be the
right time, and determined that I needed to live my truth and follow my dreams.
So I began writing on a whim, and loved everything about it. My first book is
out, and the second one is at the publishers, scheduled to be released, April
4, 2017. I am currently working on book 3 of my series, slated to release the
first week in August, 2017. I am very excited about the future, and thrilled to
be writing. I count my blessings every day because I know how truly lucky I am.
Life is good.

Diane is giving away three fab prizes. So if you're interested in winning your choice of any of the books from the Jeweled Dagger series, make sure to hit the link and leave an entry on the rafflceopter below. Good luck!